Shloka 29
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
ब्राह्मणस्त्रिषु वर्णेषु शस्त्र गृह्नन्न दुष्पति । एवमेवात्मनस्त्यागान्नान्यं धर्म विदुर्जना:
bhīṣma uvāca | brāhmaṇas triṣu varṇeṣu śastraṃ gṛhṇan na duṣpati | evam evātmanas tyāgān nānyaṃ dharma vidur janāḥ ||
Bhishma sprach: „Wenn ein Brahmane zum Schutz der drei Stände die Waffen ergreift, trifft ihn keine Schuld. Ebenso erkennen die Weisen keine höhere Pflicht als die Hingabe des eigenen Leibes in der Schlacht (wenn sie zum gerechten Schutz geschieht).“
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that dharma is context-sensitive: even a Brahmin may take up weapons without fault when the aim is the protection of society, and that courageous self-offering in a righteous battle for protection is regarded by the wise as a supreme duty.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics after the war, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on duties and exceptions to ordinary role-based conduct, explaining when non-violent ideals yield to the necessity of protecting the social order.